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Thread: Merfolk Writer's Guild

  1. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mermaid Kane View Post
    I don't agree with categorizing merfolk, and saying "pick one". In my opinion, my merfolk aren't any of those. You'd have to see my drawings.
    I just went back through and reread my comments. I didn't mean to say pick one. I was just trying to share some examples of different merfolk in different styles. I didn't share them because I think people should copy them. I shared them because I think that for anyone who might not be sure of what they want to do they can see some examples to help them organize their own ideas. Can you share your sketches? What I really want to try and share in this group is anything that could help people work out their ideas.

    I hope it doesn't look like I'm ignoring your points. I'm adding some extra details to my responses.

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    I recently created a playlist with merfolk themed music plus music specifically for while I'm writing. Music is how I draw inspiration for emotions and feelings in my story.

    Wayward Merfolk: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...-vZD8RsZ8fYl1e

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  3. #63
    Senior Member North Pacific Pod Mermaid Kane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Merman Dylan Zalrian View Post
    I just went back through and reread my comments. I didn't mean to say pick one. I was just trying to share some examples of different merfolk in different styles. I didn't share them because I think people should copy them. I shared them because I think that for anyone who might not be sure of what they want to do they can see some examples to help them organize their own ideas. Can you share your sketches? What I really want to try and share in this group is anything that could help people work out their ideas.

    I hope it doesn't look like I'm ignoring your points. I'm adding some extra details to my responses.
    Its history, Dylan. Don't worry about it. I was never upset.



  4. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mermaid Kane View Post
    Its history, Dylan. Don't worry about it. I was never upset.
    That's good. I still want to see the sketches.

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  5. #65
    Senior Member Pod of New England MermanJamie's Avatar
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    I totally agree that the Mermaid Transformation thing is kinda overdone. And the whole "grow a tail whenever you touch any amount of water" as well. I think, however, if you are careful enough with it, you can pull it off.

    There are some generic ones though. Whenever someone wants a mermaid to become a human, they basically just go for a similar plot to the little mermaid. And when a human is transformed into a mermaid it usually goes something like this:
    Girl: Oh boy, what's this mysterious water?
    (Touches water, grows a tail)
    Girl: Oh, yay, I've always wanted to be a mermaid!

    If you write your character well, you can make them realistic enough to make this desire to either become human or become mer believable. But this takes a lot of detail in their character. They need to be a deep character, so the reader can really understand their desire.

    So I don't think a story is bad if a mer becomes human, or a human becomes mer, but it is a cliché, and there are generic examples everywhere.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MermanJamie View Post
    I totally agree that the Mermaid Transformation thing is kinda overdone. And the whole "grow a tail whenever you touch any amount of water" as well. I think, however, if you are careful enough with it, you can pull it off.

    There are some generic ones though. Whenever someone wants a mermaid to become a human, they basically just go for a similar plot to the little mermaid. And when a human is transformed into a mermaid it usually goes something like this:
    Girl: Oh boy, what's this mysterious water?
    (Touches water, grows a tail)
    Girl: Oh, yay, I've always wanted to be a mermaid!

    If you write your character well, you can make them realistic enough to make this desire to either become human or become mer believable. But this takes a lot of detail in their character. They need to be a deep character, so the reader can really understand their desire.

    So I don't think a story is bad if a mer becomes human, or a human becomes mer, but it is a cliché, and there are generic examples everywhere.
    In the World of Wayward Tides or the world my story takes place in, merfolk don't change their species except under extreme conditions. Merfolk are able to obtain "legs" and become bipedal with the help of jewelry enchanted with a specific kind of magic. Their legs are covered with scales, and their feet are webbed. Their fins on their ears don't disappear. The only reason most humans don't see all the fishy bits is because merfolk can use illusion magic to blend in more on land. Only humans with natural potential for magic can see through it.

    There is a reason the merfolk would want to hide from humans, but it's not because they think all humans are evil.

    Anyways, even when merfolk become bipedal they are still merfolk. Outside of the water, merfolk are subject to much more harsh dehydration than humans. Their skin blisters, their scales peel, and etc like they would if they were beached with a tail. They need water to stay hydrated. They regain their tails if they are submerged in saltwater.

    Gaining legs is NOT a normal ability, so they have to wear the enchanted jewelry to become bipedal.

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    The appearance of the Sylph in Marianous is also a special circumstance. The Sylph can't go underwater for long because they can't breathe underwater.

    The World of Wayward Tides has a Plane of Existence called the Realm of Dreams. Inside the Realm of Dreams, the Sylph can freely roam any place that slumbers. The Realm of Dreams is a place of special circumstances.

    I think the way I explained it to someone was that a single place, person, or thing that sleeps is like looking at many different reflections in a broken mirror. The Realm of Dreams is full of distortions and broken fragments. A merperson that ends up their wouldn't be able to realize that they aren't in the sea or on land because of how this realm tricks your senses.

    The only way a merperson could become human is if they somehow passed through the distortions with only the fragments of themselves that was their human half or something like that. It's not something that would happen. It would be like your odds of getting struck by lightning. The Sylph have taken me so long to develop because they are the race that can most effortlessly interact with things in that weird Realm.

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    Last edited by Merman Dylan Zalrian; 10-06-2017 at 03:26 PM.

  8. #68
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    Creating Characters in Fiction
    Characters are various kinds of people we create to tell a story. These characters are how we reveal the world the story takes place in. The purpose of a character is to tell the story. We, the Authors, do not tell the story. This idea of the character telling the story instead of the Author is the purpose for these instructions. The risk of the Author telling the story is our own biases and beliefs that might not be the biases and beliefs of the character. The characters are central to the plot. “Once you really know the characters, let them write the story. Place the characters into the setting of the story, and let them direct the flow. Remember this: Great characters drive the plot. Not the other way around.” (Arenson, 2007). There aren’t many specific degrees or extensive education requirements for imagining great characters. Typically, a passion for writing and a basic understanding of grammar is enough for any beginner. Don’t rush developing your characters. They are the ones that will reveal your world to the reader. Make them great, so that when the reader sees your world they see just how fantastic it is.


    Recommended Tools
    · A Computer
    · Document Program like Microsoft Word
    · Access to Internet document program
    Warning!


    · Creating a character can be done many other ways, but internet for research and a document program can make creating Character Outlines much easier.




    Where your Character Lives
    The environment of your world shapes the appearance and motivations of your character. Understanding the place they typically live in can help you decide what they look like. For example, someone who lives somewhere cold might wear heavier clothes while someone that lives somewhere hot might wear lighter clothes.
    · Do they live in the sea?
    · Do they live in the desert?
    · Do they live in the arctic?
    · Do they live in the forest?
    · Do they live on a mountain?
    · Do they live on an island?
    Once you know where they are in the world, you can begin to identify what they look like.
    What your Character Looks Like
    Before you can put your character into a story, you need to know what they look like. The Character’s distinct physical features will be essential to know when you write your story.
    1. General Questions:
    a. What’s their hair color?
    b. What’s their skin color?
    c. How old do they look?
    d. How old are they?
    e. What do they wear?
    f. What’s their eye color?
    2. If they are a merperson:
    a. What color tail do they have if they have one?
    b. Do they have fins on their arms?
    c. Are they bipedal?
    3. If they are an elf:
    a. Are they youthful in appearance?
    b. Are they tall? Short?
    c. What shape are their ears aside from pointy?
    4. If they are a dragon:
    a. What do their wings look like?
    b. Do they have features of other animals?
    c. Do they have wings?
    These are examples of questions you can ask yourself to begin identifying what your character looks like. If you have access to the internet, you can research what these distinctive characteristics look like.
    Your Character’s Character
    Your character is more than what he or she looks like. A character has feelings and emotions. Some of the things they find important might not always be what you find important. They have their own character.
    · Are they frequently timid?
    · Do they lose their tempers often?
    · Do they long to find someone that went missing?
    · Do they know who they are or is everything made up as they go?
    · Do they hunger for something that will never satisfy their hunger?
    · Do they love someone?
    · Do they hate someone?
    · Are they oblivious to the most obvious things?
    Characters have emotions and feelings. They have their own behavior that makes them stand out. However, it helps to bring their emotions to the next level. It’s not enough to want to see someone that went missing. The character needs to have their thoughts frequently fall back onto that person they want to see. It needs to be there inside them all the time, so that in a moment that they make a tough decision it can influence it. The character’s character is their own identity like any person has their own identity.
    Character Motivation
    Now you know where your character lives, you know how their home environment shaped their appearance, and now they have their own identity that can influence their tough decisions in their story. Now comes one of the crucial points in the interaction between Character and Plot.
    A character has their own identity influencing their decisions. For the character that wants to meet a long-lost friend: he or she might leave on their journey that makes up the story to find the friend they lost. However, that’s not enough.
    · What if a clue to the close friend’s whereabouts was accidentally discovered?
    · What if this close friend was a close sibling like an older brother or sister?
    · Or maybe, this friend is a long-lost lover the character never got over.
    A character has their own inner struggles they must face, and as they face their inner demons they reveal the world they live in. Through the characters experiences in the world, the reader will become more aware of the world. It’s the character’s struggle to make choices, and his or her motivation for doing something or making a choice that will allow the reader to connect to the story.
    The Character’s Choices
    The choices a character makes will be guided by the character’s motivation. A character might choose to do something for many reasons. However, whatever their reason for doing something, they will do it because of something they felt or experienced.
    The way a character makes choices is much like how we make choices. The character discovers new things about themselves when they are faced with difficult choices to make.
    The character that goes out in search of their long-lost lover or sibling might be faced with a difficult choice. They might have to decide between giving up new friends or a new lover he or she met on their journey and reuniting with the one they lost. Maybe, this long-lost lover became a villain or the long-lost sibling truly is lost.
    When faced with a hard decision, a character might learn they aren’t what they thought they were. There are consequences to the choices we make. These consequences are often things we must live with. Because the choices a character might make can have many different consequences, the plot needs to bend to the changes made because of a character’s choice.
    Character Development
    A character faces various consequences for their actions. These consequences shape the plot. The plot is the path the character walks. This path can be many different things:
    · Fall
    o The character starts off good, but he or she begins to learn that they aren’t as good as they thought they were. Eventually, the character becomes the villain.
    · Redemption
    o The character starts off bad, but he or she begins to learn that they aren’t as bad as they thought they were. Eventually, the character becomes the hero.
    · Growth
    o The character grows and discovers something new about themselves.
    · The Misunderstood
    o The character is regarded as something they aren’t, and they go through the story trying to prove to themselves and the rest of the world that they aren’t what everyone thought.
    One way or another, the way a character develops revolves around the conflict that causes them to make choices that drive the plot.
    Trouble Shooting
    If you are struggling with any part of this, it’s important to think about how you can take things one step further. For Example:
    Where your Character Lives
    The Earth gives us notable examples of many different dynamic environments in one place. One thing you can do when trying to decide where the character lives is think about the Earth’s many different environments and imagine most of the world to be like one environment.
    What your Character Looks Like
    The more distinct the features the better. A good physical appearance can have a distinct feature that can make the character easier to distinguish from others.
    Your Character’s Character
    Everyone has a distinct personality that makes them who they are. A character with quirks can be easier for the reader to relate to than a character without any.
    Your Character’s Motivation
    Think about what drives your character to do what they do.
    Your Character’s Choices
    When thinking about the plot, think about the tough choices a character will have to make. Make some room for the character to choose their path. Be careful not to lose control of the plot.
    Character Development
    Your character is shaped by conflict and difficult choices. Understanding the path your character walks can help you maintain control of the plot while the character’s choices shape the story.
    Last edited by Merman Dylan Zalrian; 10-09-2017 at 08:39 AM.

  9. #69
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    The above is a guide for creating characters in case someone wants any tips.

  10. #70
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    I hope it's okay for me to pop in but, I love this! I'm a huge fiction writer but most of the time I steer away from merfolk in my stories as breaking cliches can just be so darn difficult! I totally agree that the whole... transformation thing is just a tired idea - a very good one but, a tired one all the same. With some serious revamping I think it could actually make for a beautiful story!

    But am I the only one who's tired of the "manic pixie mermaid" characters? Those beautiful mers who could hold such an important role in the story but instead their whole reason for being there is to offer some character clash to the stud muffin man and then fall madly in love with him. Romance isn't always bad but it just feels old when that's all the mer is good for but, I digress.

    Holy sweet wow though, Dylan, that character outline is like a dream. Did you create that yourself? It's awesome!

  11. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeeAnne View Post
    I hope it's okay for me to pop in but, I love this! I'm a huge fiction writer but most of the time I steer away from merfolk in my stories as breaking cliches can just be so darn difficult! I totally agree that the whole... transformation thing is just a tired idea - a very good one but, a tired one all the same. With some serious revamping I think it could actually make for a beautiful story!

    Holy sweet wow though, Dylan, that character outline is like a dream. Did you create that yourself? It's awesome!
    I used my experience mostly and quoted from someone who wrote a good guide.

    As far as merfolk transformation is concerned, I feel like it can still be used in a story because it's useful. However, the story does not need to be centered around that.

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  12. #72
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    The person I quoted had a decent guide, but I felt like it could have benefited from better formatting. I also had my own ideas like how the environment shapes the character.

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  13. #73
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    In fact, before you use a style of merfolk that was already done or over done. It may be helpful to consider where your characters live before you decide on what they look like.

    The merfolk in my story have fins extending from their ears that serve multiple purposes. The merfolk live in reefs at the bottom of the ocean. These reefs produce light. However, in my story's history, merfolk didn't always have the deep sea reefs. Since merfolk swam through the darkness of the deep sea, the fins on their ears could detect sound vibrations that moved through the water. So the fins help merfolk hear more sounds at a greater distance. The fins also fold and unfold like a fan which can play a part in how much they hear, and it's one of the ways they express some emotions.

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  14. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by Merman Dylan Zalrian View Post
    While I have not had a chance to buy and finish reading his books, I find his writing tips very helpful.

    http://www.danielarenson.com/FantasyWritingTips.aspx

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    This is the link to the writing tips from the person I quoted. While much of my guide is from my own experience. I organized the order of development, included bullets for accessibility, and It's my idea to start the basis of character development from how the environment shapes the characters appearance. Other details I included I was first exposed to on Daniel Arenson's page and his writing tips. I included similar details he suggested because in my experience trying to apply those ideas I found that I could not come up with something better. The ideas are similar, but he is not quoted because the words I used are not his. If anyone is interested, I can share the document I created that includes a works cited giving him credit for what I learned from him.

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  15. #75
    Senior Member Pod of New England MermanJamie's Avatar
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    Wow, Dylan, you have outdone yourself with this character guide. So useful, especially for new writers. I used to be a great writer, but I feel like I've lost a little bit of my touch recently, and that my stories are basically just rambling, so if I can create a good character, it could help me get better. The only thing is, I'm not sure if I want to make my main character a girl or a guy. I haven't written from a girl's perspective that often, so it could be fun, but I feel like it's easier to write from a guy's perspective, especially if he's around my age, because I can get into his mindset. Idk, though. I think I have a good plot outlined, no matter what, but I need to decide on my main character first. I know what I want my character to be like, but I just can't decide whether they should be male or female. Idk, it's a weird dilemma.

  16. #76
    Quote Originally Posted by MermanJamie View Post
    Wow, Dylan, you have outdone yourself with this character guide. So useful, especially for new writers. I used to be a great writer, but I feel like I've lost a little bit of my touch recently, and that my stories are basically just rambling, so if I can create a good character, it could help me get better. The only thing is, I'm not sure if I want to make my main character a girl or a guy. I haven't written from a girl's perspective that often, so it could be fun, but I feel like it's easier to write from a guy's perspective, especially if he's around my age, because I can get into his mindset. Idk, though. I think I have a good plot outlined, no matter what, but I need to decide on my main character first. I know what I want my character to be like, but I just can't decide whether they should be male or female. Idk, it's a weird dilemma.
    Guys and girls... really don’t think all that differently, if you look at people as a whole. Sure, there are stereotypes that have some basis in biological factors, but there are guys who are plenty emotional and girls who try to distance themselves from their feelings.
    Should you chose to write from a female character’s perspective, don’t worry too much about making her a typical girl. Just think about making her a relatable person.
    Also: friendly reminder that one of the most famous male protagonists in the world, Harry Potter, was written by a woman.


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  17. #77
    Senior Member Pod of New England MermanJamie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Agent Dragon View Post
    Guys and girls... really don’t think all that differently, if you look at people as a whole. Sure, there are stereotypes that have some basis in biological factors, but there are guys who are plenty emotional and girls who try to distance themselves from their feelings.
    Should you chose to write from a female character’s perspective, don’t worry too much about making her a typical girl. Just think about making her a relatable person.
    Also: friendly reminder that one of the most famous male protagonists in the world, Harry Potter, was written by a woman.


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    I totally agree, and that's one of the great things about our world, that there is so much variety in the types of people out there. I just meant, sometimes, my friends who are girls have experiences that I don't really understand. If I don't get certain things a girl might face that are important to her character, that would be a little difficult. The main issue, is that it might be difficult to make a girl who seems believable, cause while I have a few friends who are girls, I don't know if she would seem realistic or relatable. I guess I could ask my friends a little more, but I totally get where you're coming from.

  18. #78
    Quote Originally Posted by MermanJamie View Post
    I totally agree, and that's one of the great things about our world, that there is so much variety in the types of people out there. I just meant, sometimes, my friends who are girls have experiences that I don't really understand. If I don't get certain things a girl might face that are important to her character, that would be a little difficult. The main issue, is that it might be difficult to make a girl who seems believable, cause while I have a few friends who are girls, I don't know if she would seem realistic or relatable. I guess I could ask my friends a little more, but I totally get where you're coming from.
    Ah, I see what you mean. And I don’t mean to say that writing for the opposite gender isn’t difficult - it IS a challenge, but I have faith that you can pull it off. Also, something to keep in mind: if the main character is from a society that is different from ours, they will think differently. For example, a girl growing up in our modern world might become indignant if a man catcalls her, but if that same girl lived a few centuries ago, she wouldn’t think to get angry because that was just what happened in patriarchal societies. That reminds me of a podcast I was listening to a few years back where these people went to Africa and held competitions on street corners and stuff to see what kind of people would be more likely to participate. Now, people in the Western world tend to think of men as more competitive, and that stereotype held true - in the patriarchal areas. When the same competitions were held in matriarchal societies, the vast majority of the volunteers were women. In the female-dominated areas, women were more competitive than men.
    What I’m trying to get at is this: Our personalities are impacted less by male and female hormones and more by our surroundings. When it is clear what environmental factors make a character act the way they do, it becomes easier to relate to them, regardless of how much the character and the reader differ.


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  19. #79
    Senior Member Pod of New England MermanJamie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Agent Dragon View Post
    Ah, I see what you mean. And I don’t mean to say that writing for the opposite gender isn’t difficult - it IS a challenge, but I have faith that you can pull it off. Also, something to keep in mind: if the main character is from a society that is different from ours, they will think differently. For example, a girl growing up in our modern world might become indignant if a man catcalls her, but if that same girl lived a few centuries ago, she wouldn’t think to get angry because that was just what happened in patriarchal societies. That reminds me of a podcast I was listening to a few years back where these people went to Africa and held competitions on street corners and stuff to see what kind of people would be more likely to participate. Now, people in the Western world tend to think of men as more competitive, and that stereotype held true - in the patriarchal areas. When the same competitions were held in matriarchal societies, the vast majority of the volunteers were women. In the female-dominated areas, women were more competitive than men.
    What I’m trying to get at is this: Our personalities are impacted less by male and female hormones and more by our surroundings. When it is clear what environmental factors make a character act the way they do, it becomes easier to relate to them, regardless of how much the character and the reader differ.


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    A lot of great points here! I don't really want my world to be a patriarchy or a matriarchy. I'm thinking that rulers have been both men and women in the past, but I'm not sure who rules the society now. I also think that competitiveness will differ based on the character, so there might be some competitive female and some competitive male characters. I don't really know. My main character is going to be super excitable, but also really loyal to their friends. Their main flaws are probably indecisiveness and wavering, or doubting themselves. I'm thinking of trying to put his/her desires in the way of their friendships. This is a classic idea, but I think I have a creative way I can pull it off. I'm just not sure if I want to make the main character a guy or girl. Either way, it's going to be a fun story to write.

  20. #80
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    Quote Originally Posted by MermanJamie View Post
    A lot of great points here! I don't really want my world to be a patriarchy or a matriarchy. I'm thinking that rulers have been both men and women in the past, but I'm not sure who rules the society now. I also think that competitiveness will differ based on the character, so there might be some competitive female and some competitive male characters. I don't really know. My main character is going to be super excitable, but also really loyal to their friends. Their main flaws are probably indecisiveness and wavering, or doubting themselves. I'm thinking of trying to put his/her desires in the way of their friendships. This is a classic idea, but I think I have a creative way I can pull it off. I'm just not sure if I want to make the main character a guy or girl. Either way, it's going to be a fun story to write.
    I ran into a similar issue including a character with a dark skin tone while I'm white.

    If you do not understand the issues someone else lives with or how things might be different from you. It helps to ask someone that is willing to explain what you don't understand. The internet is also an excellent tool for expanding your knowledge.

    And to go with what Agent Dragon is saying, there is a reason I started out my guide for developing a character with where they can be found first. Our environment does not just shape how we look. We also have different experiences that shape our personalities. The environment is not just a physical location, it's also a place in time, and a social circumstance.

    If socially men and women are on equal playing fields, you should avoid the details in our society that shows inequality unless historically there was inequality in your world. If you are creating your own world, I recommend creating a creation myth for how the world begins. Once you know how your world came to be, you can create a history that comes after.

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